It’s National Hug Your Cat Day.

in Random Crap, turning into a cat lady

Today is National Hug-Your-Cat Day which is awesome because you know what cats really love?  When you squeeze them hard and pin them down and they can’t escape from your forcible groping.  CATS LOVE THAT.

Hurry up, because in a few hours it’ll be National Get-A-Lot-Of-Stitches Night, and tomorrow is National Don’t-Forget-To-Rinse-Out-Your-Wounds Day, and then comes Does-This-Look-Infected-Friday. It’s weird how they clump all of these holidays together.

PS.  If you don’t have a cat you should go to a shelter and get one because they are awesome if you’re not assaulting them.

PPS.  Maybe it should be National Let-Your-Cat-Hug-You Day.  Some cats are totally into that.

PPPS. That video is several years old and now when Hunter S. Thomcat tries to hug me it’s when I’m unconscious and I wake up thinking that I’m being strangled. Possibly because he’s strangling me. Maybe what I thought was adorable kittenish hugging was just weak, practice strangling. Hard to tell with cats. Happy National I-Don’t-Know-What-Cats-Are-Thinking Decade, you guys.

135 thoughts on “It’s National Hug Your Cat Day.”

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  3. I had a wonderful cat for many years who I miss very much today. Probably not a good idea to hug him, though. He’s probably all bones and worms after 8 years buried in the back yard.

  5. Okay…I have been campaigning for a kitty for a while now. I guess I’ll just have to find a feral neighborhood cat to hug instead.

  7. As Copernicus says ‘A hug is a strangle you haven’t finished’…I would totally of thought the cats would be the best huggers.

  9. I did hug my cat today, as I was carrying her out to the utility porch so she wouldn’t try to use her Jedi mind powers on me and make me drop my chicken.

  10. My cat would effing kill me. But I must have a death wish anyway, cause I’m thinking about having her shaved. I KNOW, Right?!

  11. My household is practicing “holy shit that is a lot of pills I have to cram down my cat’s throat, do we have any welding gloves” month. Pro tip: If you have to sit on your cat to shove pills down his throat, wear shoes. Those back claws are a bitch.

  12. PSA: The Humane Society here in Tucson is having a sale. Adult cats 15.00, Kittens 2/100.00. You could get multiple cats to hug!

  16. I called out to Scout that it is National Hug Your Cat Day, and he said he’s too busy melting on the tile floor to be hugged. He says maybe I can scratch his head later.

  17. One of my cats absolutely loves being hugged. My other cat will eat your face if you try it.

  18. When I was leaving for work I saw my cat running through a neighbors yard. I rolled down my window and yelled “Bye Kitty!” and she looked! I like to pretend she really does love me.

  19. I remember watching this when you first posted it and it still warms my heart and makes me smile. My cat Sassy does not like to be held. Certainly not hugged.
    She tolerates me kissing her on her ‘sweet spot’ on the high bridge of her nose.

    Because she knows she will get more butt pats.

    Because she is a hussy like that.

  21. If I hug my cats I will spend the rest of the day itchy and sneezing, so not a special day for me…

  22. Thank you Jenny for letting me use a screen grab of this video for my National Hug Your Cat Day video. It was my first video I ever put together and I am so happy with it. I would have never dreamed that my degree in animal science would also lead to me learning to put together videos about animals. In Aug. I am dressing up as a dog and going to sit in a car to show how hot it gets. It just occured me that it also lead to me being able to use my many costumes to make the fun animal videos. My job rocks!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahq0mmO5pNQ

  23. I call my daughter a cat molester. One cat loves it, the other protests loudly. But I have to say, that video made my day. That is just freakin adorable!!!

  25. Oh my God. I just watched that and it almost makes me want to be a cat person. Almost. Way more than I’d want to be a lizard person. If a lizard did that to me, I’d be really freaked out, so forget what I said about lizard’s getting their day. They don’t need a day.

  26. Our neighbor’s cat has decided that she also lives in our house. She walks in whenever the door is open.

  27. Today is National Running Day as well as National Hug Your Cat Day. It’s therefore an ideal day to follow the new-ish Twitter account, @RunnersandCats.

    (Too confusing. This is bound to lead to National Run Over Your Cat Day. ~ Jenny)

  28. Oh sure…spread tuna on your neck and make it look like he wants a hug. You’re not fooling anyone, missy! (totally adorable kitty hugs!)

  29. I have a cat like that. She couldn’t decide whether to use a blood choke or a wind choke, so she settled on trying to smother me with her butt when I’m asleep.

  33. One of my cats has to touch everything with his entire body all the time, so this is his every day! The other one’s version of cuddling is, ‘hey, we’re 3 feet away from each other, what more do you want from me?’

  35. Haha this made me crack up. I used to try hugging my cat when I was younger. I had one that loved it and one that hated it. Stupid sharp claws, just let me hug you damnit!

  36. We are waiting for our new kitten, Plum, to be fixed before we can pick her up from the shelter. Thinking I may just go over there to visit her and give her a hug (and maybe some other cats too). My cats at home definitely do not appreciate hugs.

  38. I wish I had a cat to hug.. but after losing 4 cats over 3 years ( they were all over 16 years old and I got them at the same time) I am just not ready to fall in love with them again. My oldest was 19. He is missed… once in awhile I have a dream about him and he loves me up:)

  39. The part where you say “Bless your little heart”? Yeah. I was probably already a fan by that point, but the first time I saw that, I crossed the line and became dementedly devoted. You make me happy to be a Jenny, because we kick ass.

  40. My dog is a real dickhead so I can’t hug my own cat, but there’s this one hanging around my apartment dumpster that looks like he’s in need of a good, long hug.

    Then again, he might be a possum. I guess I’ll find out, huh?!

  44. The scary thing is that I knew this was an older video because of those bookcases. not a stalker, I swear

    Also, I am sad because I have no cats to hug. Our dog looks at kittens like they are delicious snack type things that we’ve brought home, just for her. I need a 30 pound cat who can swat her on the nose a couple of times and show her who’s boss. Of course if we had the 30 pound cat with a temperment like that, I’d probably have to celebrate “National Visit the ER Afternoon”…

  46. Perfect timing for me, since I found two kittens in the road Monday night. Brought then home and am currently watching them “attack” each other. Kittens may not cure depression, but they’re a surprisingly effective treatment! These are also still huggable-sized (I carry them both around in ine hand). Winning all around!

  47. So that’s why my cats have been all up in my face today. They’re waiting for their hugs!

  48. My cats seem to enjoy hugs. I’m wondering if this is indicative of some kind of learned helplessness from having to live with me? Or just biding their time until their plot to rise and take over is ready? Either way, hugs for me!

  51. One of my cats used to sleep directly on top of my head like she was a hat, tyen press her paws on the throat and suffpcate me to wake me up. I miss my cats. I don’t miss the litter box. And not really the suffocation, either.

  52. Cat Hugging Tip of The Day: Don’t be in mid-hug with your cat when someone turns on the ceiling fan. Mayhem will ensue. Also blood and screaming.

  53. I hugged my cat this morning and since his previous owner had him declawed, he was unable to exact his vengeance on me. Instead, he following me around the house thwapping at my ankles with his fuzzy, fuzzy paws. Very ferocious.

  56. I’m pretty sure that this cat is fake:

    I’ve never gotten a cat hug that didn’t involve lots of bandaids. And apologies. To the cat of course.

  57. My first cat, Shadow, hugged like that and I loved it. My current cat, Phoebe, does not understand the concept of hugs, or snuggling, or anything that doesn’t involve hiding under the bed. It’s hard to hug someone who’s under a bed. sigh HST FTW.

  58. My cat likes to hug my face. While I’m sleeping. And she glares at me when I gasp for air in the middle of the night. How dare I disturb her beauty rest!

  59. just found out my Brewster T Butterworth is dying of bad cancer. Hug your babies close. Kiss them and love them.

  60. My (also orange tabby) cat’s idea of a hug is to sit his 14 lb ass on my shoulder purring his fool head off. And giving me a pinched nerve in my neck at the same time. But I still love him, and he’s getting a hug today!

  62. I miss my cat so much, every day. When I had to move out of my apartment last year I had to give her to my mom to “stay there temporarily until I get on my feet”, and a year later she’s still there because my feet haven’t been gotten on. Everybody, please hug your cats for me, because I can’t hug my own, and it hurts a lot every day.

    And to make this comment happier, I’ll tell a cat story. My cat likes to sleep in a spooning position with me – she curves like a parentheses (parenthesis?) and snuggles into my chest and we sleep that way, like this: ((. It was easier when my boyfriend worked nights, because we had a whole bed to ourselves, but when he got a day job and we all shared the bed at night she was SO MAD. She’d try to snuggle with me, but finding that there was no room for her (or there was a foot of space for her, and that was just not enough) she’d passive-aggressively climb onto Boyfriend’s chest or genital area and slump there and sleep, just so he couldn’t move and get comfortable. She’s awesome.

  63. Our cats are inveterate nose-lickers. We never, ever get blackheads or zits on the tips of our noses. Mainly because there is no skin left there.

  65. Uh, thinking I might pass.

    But you can hug again. That’d be cool. But I’m gonna pass, if that’s ok.

    You’re still awesome though.

    And I’m still passing.

  66. My geriatric cat will allow gentle hugging. He poots if you hug too hard.

  68. I used to have a cat named Missy (I was young, don’t judge the name). She loved to lay around the back of our necks like a stole and fall asleep there. You could walk around the house with her that way. Sometimes she would try to fall asleep on our face while you were sleeping…..I’m pretty sure she was trying to kill us all. Since then I have had dogs. I still like cats, just afraid they’re all plotting to kill me in my sleep.

  69. I adopted my brother’s ferile cat. It took years before I could get close to it. Near the end I could hug her gently with nary a hiss. It was sublime!

  70. I don’t have a cat 🙁 I’ll have to settle and hug my alien dog. He’s catish.

  71. Well, that explains it. Yesterday, I hugged my cat (while trying to free her from the kitty condo she’d snagged her claw on) and she launched herself into my face at roughly ninety miles an hour. Obviously, it was the wrong day.

  72. I’ve never seen a cat hug someone. Your cat is a pro.

    Now if only my pug could learn how to do that.

    bisous
    Suzanne

  73. My rescue kitty will finally, after 5 years with me, allow a VERY BRIEF hug. Pretty suspicious of humans, he is……

  75. Too stinkin cute…3 of my cats would claw my face off trying that lol my other baby, well she is special with CH. Her, yah we might get away with it!!! LOL lets git celebrating, it’s a party haha

  76. That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Those little kisses………….

  77. What we need is my household is a hug your human day, for cats. Because my cats do not appreciate hugs but I don’t think a hug from them once a year should be too much to ask.

  78. Did you know that there’s a real thing called “cat scratch fever”? Obviously invented by a doctor after National Hug Your Cat Day!

    Missing you Woogers, Francesca, M&M…

  79. Hmm, generally when my little angels hug my neck like that it is to get a better angle to bite my ears! Lucky you!

  80. We’ve never met, and I’ve never written but today I need to say hello! Your post just came up, and I clicked to watch the video. I forget that Pandora was on so at the exact same time the video started, Jack Johnson started singing his song “Upside Down” from Curious George soundtrack…I thought you brilliantly had the music to the video and then I realized what was going on. (I liked your commentary too!) At the very end when HST is still hugging you, Jack sings, “please don’t go away…” It was perfect. Great post/video and keep double spacing after every sentence. People with typewriters appreciate it. PS Play the song and watch the video for all cats and cat people!

  81. EVERY DAY IS HUG YOUR CAT DAY AT MY HOUSE! We just so enjoy torturing the masters of the house!

  83. I had to chuckle. I just not 15 mins ago had to have my 15 yr old kitty euthanized. This was the VERY FIRST post on my newsfeed after.

    Thanks for the laugh (s) 😀

  85. I can’t have cats 🙁 but my sugar gliders just had twins!! I’m pretty sure they don’t have a National Day for sugar gliders and hugging them is pretty much out of the question.

  86. Not so much into cats, but here every day is hug your greyhound day.

    Greyhounds are very cat like; they sleep 18 – 20hrs per day, they meticulously clean themselves frequently, and they want to be where you are and get under your feet.
    I guess the difference is that cats don’t usually get raced, and greyhounds take up a bit more space.
    Oh and greyhounds don’t usually randomly leap at you unexpectedly, which is a bonus.

    Still I highly recommend that anyone thinking about getting a dog (or who thinks they want an alternative to a cat without the hassle of a high energy terrier) adopt a greyhound – preferably an ex racer or one that didn’t make the track.

    There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions worldwide that get put to sleep or worse every year, and I have to say after 4 months with my big ball of fur and love no other pet comes close.

    They may be a little work getting them out for two walks per day (usually 20 – 30 mins is enough), and cleaning up their rather large dog eggs, but believe me they’re totally worth it.

  87. Cats are AWESOME. Even when they’re strangling you. I can’t do anything without a jealous half-Siamese sitting on some part of me. And using the bathroom is now very strange unless there’s something furry either staring at me or flailing underneath the door with a couple paws trying to figure out what exciting thing is going on in there.

  88. Okay…All I can say is that Hunter is absolutely adorable and I wouldn’t care if it was practice strangling. I want a cat to hug me. Where do I find a hugging cat??? Where???

  89. I think the pharma industry made up this holiday to sell more antibiotics. As luck would have it, today I’ve got a parade of ridiculous space kitty leggings happening on my blog. So I can celebrate the holiday in style. I’m certain I did that intentionally.

  90. My roommate’s cat used to bump foreheads with us, it was adorable. But now that I think about it, maybe she was trying to knock us out by headbutting us but was too little to do more but make us go “awww, that’s so cute!!”

  91. Got mixed up here… in my house it was” didn’t realize the cat was in the office this morning and so spent 6 hours in there while I was out all day having Big Human Fun until I came home, noticed he wasn’t circling my feet and trying to trip me, and finally let him out day.”

  92. Um, I come here for gross, absurd and creepy shit, and here you are serving up so much cuteness! Who are you, and what have you done with Jenny?

  93. Every day is Hug Your Cat Day at my house. Why is everyone afraid to hug their cats? Perhaps I have stronger spinster powers.

  94. Aww, now I miss my kitties. I had to have the last one put down not that long ago (cancer is an asshole). Planning on adopting a new kitty sometime this summer, though.

  95. Love this post “Does-This-Look-Infected-Friday” indeed. I live alone these days, and one morning I was trimming my cat’s nails before going to work. He hates it, so he freaked out and climbed me and ended up scratching my back pretty badly. I had to go to work and ask the on-site nurse to bandage it. She thought I was nuts. Oh the perils of living alone and owning cats. I guess if I die at home I’ll be half-eaten by the time anyone notices I haven’t showed up to work for a while.

  96. My kitty’s not much of a hugger, but I did get to frolick in her tummy fur for an unprecedented amount of time tonight. That was kind of awesome.

  97. That video almost made me CRY because IT WAS SO SPECIAL.
    Also, we ALMOST got a free kitten today, but unfortunately, I was at work and it was a feral kitten that is apparently much faster than my husband, and can fit through much smaller holes than him, as well.

    BUT I ALMOST HAD A CAT.
    I want a cat so bad.

    I’m gonna go hug my ferrets.

  98. My cat just looks at the ceiling like “Are we done yet?”
    I can’t tell if she’s faking boredom to look French, or if she’s faking enthusiasm to look American.

    She dresses like a Russian Blue, if that’s a clue…

  99. My cat brought a(nother) live snake into the house today. NO HUGS FOR YOU!!

  100. I chose to hug the cat whose anti-anxiety meds I keep forgetting to give her with her dinner. Only minor flesh wounds, but she got her pill today!

  101. Great post and comments from the Tribe here!!!

    There have been a couple of times that I’ve been crying (depression sucks!) and my cat, Baby, has laid on me and stretched his little paw out to give me a squeeze just like HST in the video. I call that a “Baby Hug”. It does make up a little for him “yelling” at me because he wants canned food and the occasional “teeth kisses” he gives.

  102. I wish I had a cat to hug. After seeing Hunter S. Thomcat cuddle with you, now I feel feline deprived. I want a cat the way most women my age want babies, but I’m waiting until I’m financially stable before I adopt one.

  103. Love your video. Your post reminded me of Sad Cat Diary (LeFrank1) on You Tube: “Dear Diary, I have decided to plead with the Authorities to rub my belly. I think it will do me good in my current condition. I would like to receive 2 rubs exactly; a third one, and I will bite the shit out of them as per protocol. Wish me luck.”

  105. We don’t have a cat because there are 35,000 stray dogs on the streets here, so the cats keep out of the way. Well, we were offered a cat that was the reincarnation of my grandfather-in-law (according to my father-in-law, who should know because it was his dad), but my son was afraid to take it because it was too much responsibility. He was afraid he’d lose his great-grandfather and then everyone would be mad. So great-grandpa went off in a huff to the jungle.

  106. Dang I missed it, I thought it was a joke. I miss my cat (I’m not at home this week again or I would hug her) , and I’ve got a new ‘rescue’ one also waiting to be hugged by my 7yr – You nailed it = he squeezes her so hard, to pin her down , so she can’t escape his forcible groping. CATS LOVE THAT. ??
    She runs a mile from him and occasionally lets me hug her if she is in a good mood.

  107. As one of our cats loves to hug the toilet brush I’m rather excited that he doesn’t try to hug me too. The other one does the molest and run thing.

  108. Best cat video ever! My big fluffball of a kitty celebrated by forcing her way between me and my laptop even more than usual. My other one just yelled at me until I pet her head. As usual.

  110. I had a tortoise – or turtle as you call them in the US – once. My sisters bought it for my 11th birthday. It wasn’t very huggable. The most interesting thing about it was that it used to to do very long pees. Then one day it ran away.

  111. Even weak, practice strangling sounds adorable when I imagine a cat doing it. And this is why we’ll be so easy to defeat.

  113. I’m still wondering whether ocularnervosa (#9) was carrying a live chicken or an order of fried chicken.

  114. Awwww. I didn’t hug not one of of my cats before I left for work today. I did accidently kick one though when he tried tripping me up because he wanted his pattee.

  116. It must also be National Allergic Reaction Day! Just watching this is making me break out in hives! lolz I wish that I was not allergic to the world.

  117. I will hug the two indoor kitties today. And try to hug “over the legal limit” outdoor kitties when I get home!

  118. I have a kitten who loves to be hugged! And a two-year-old black domestic shorthair who acts like Hunter S. Thomcat does. He also gives massages when I have migraines. Cats can be really amazing, affectionate, healing creatures when they find their humans. 🙂

  120. I am still in mourning for my beloved cat Fenwick who passed on a couple of years ago. He was the sweetest cat love of all! He adored me (or thought he owned me!) and followed me everywhere….even after all these years I still dream about him. ~Kathy

  121. weak strangling….oh yeah….I think I just found my new secret hobby

  130. I’m a little behind in my reading and just finished reading the section on Nat’l Hug Your Cat Day. For some reason, this struck me so funny, I laughed til I almost choked. And I needed that, thanks!!! Jennifer

  133. Good god that’s an adorable cat! He really is obsessed with your neck isn’t he? What is with cats and necks? One of mine insists on curling up on my neck every night at 3 am, which is less cute now that he’s a big man cat instead of a snuggly tiny kitten. I still love it though 😉

  135. I had to search for this video because I wanted to see it again. It makes me happy.

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